At the University of Northern British Columbia's (UNBC) May 29th Prince George campus convocation ceremonies, Mary Teegee, Maaxswxw Gibuu, will be awarded a Doctor of Laws degree. Serving as a Hereditary Chief of Takla Lake First Nation, and as the Chief Administration Officer of Child and Family Services for Carrier Sekani Family Services, Teegee has taken on leadership roles for her community, families, women, and children for over twenty years. Encouraged to nurture that quality since her youth, she mentioned, “For us as indigenous people, we see leadership as being in service to the people. It’s just a certain role that the Creator has given us, and it’s up to us if we’re going to take on that role.” The path has not been smooth but overcoming and witnessing adversity along the way has fuelled a passion to help others which drives her forward. She has her family to thank, “I wouldn’t have been able to do that without the love and the support of my Mom, my Dad, my brothers and my sisters.”
The University’s acknowledgement is by no means a signal to stop, “The work we have to do, you know, I’m going to do it regardless if I have a credential behind my name. I’m going to knock doors down, I’m going to be in places where we were not normally in places...” Teegee does hope that through achieving this award, a young indigenous girl can see that they can do it too. Citing her own inspiration, she expresses of her late Mother, “To me, this doctorate really is hers. It’s my Moms, and it should have been Dr. Sarah Teegee.”
- Ian Gregg, CFURadio 88.7FM, Due North News, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
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